First Look Review: The Li Auto L9 is a no-compromise family SUV

Beijing-based Li Auto is another Chinese manufacturer with an electrified vehicle offensive. It has sold around a million vehicles in China already, and offers the Li Auto L9, a full-sized family SUV, with a range extender, as its flagship product. Recently, I spent time exploring the top-spec Li Auto L9, and here are my findings:

Design

There is no second guessing what the Li Auto L9 is. The flagship packs a traditional three-box SUV design, with an uncluttered and futuristic styling.

The L9 features proper SUV proportions, but it blends that traditional look with modern design bits. The upper part of the front-end likely houses a full-width, curved LED DRL and a sloping, rounded bonnet. There’s no grille in the upper section, so the nose appears clean and smooth. The middle and bottom sections are sharp and upright instead, with the former housing the SUV’s headlights. There’s a lower air dam to cool the battery in the bottom portion.

On the sides, the L9 features a greenhouse which I thought was reminiscent of the Mercedes GLS, flush door handles, aero wheels, and a slightly sloping roofline. At the rear, the large SUV sports sleek, transparent tail lamps that cover its entire width. The brake light is positioned on the spoiler, and the rear windscreen wiper is hidden under the spoiler. I also noticed that there’s a LiDAR sensor on the front of the roof.

Interior & Features

AVN

Inside, the L9 packs pleasant innovations and has a lot of digital real estate. Yes, the Li Auto L9 has as many as four screens in its cabin, of which three are massive touchscreens. For starters, Li Auto didn’t feel the need for a traditional digital instrument cluster. Instead, a sizeable heads-up display showcases speed, gear position, maps, and ADAS functions. A secondary screen (non-touch) on the steering displays speed, range, audio, and other information.

Eliminating the digital cluster is a fresh take on the interior layout and cuts out distractions. The HUD is in the driver’s field of vision and displays essential information. The steering has capacitive touch buttons and two rotary dials, while the central 15.7-inch OLED screen houses primary functions. There’s another 15.7-inch OLED screen for the co-driver, and both the screens have 3K resolution. There’s the third 15.7-inch OLED screen for rear passengers, which can be used for streaming purposes.

Comfort & Entertainment

The Li Auto L9 also offers a small fridge under the central armrest (accessed from the second row). What’s more, there are two charging pads and two bottle holders on the center console. The system uses Dolby Atmos technology and 4D sound, which makes the seats vibrate to the tune of the music, a feature popularized by the latest generation Mercedes S-Class. The brand is also offering premium 21-speaker audio with an output of 2160 W.

AD Max

The L9 packs Li Auto’s intelligent driver assistance system suite, AD Max. The company has developed AD Max’s AEB as per Chinese road conditions, and this optimized AEB improves two-wheeler and pedestrian recognition. Six 8 MP cameras and five 2 MP cameras are the L9’s intelligent eyes, providing a 360-degree view of the surrounding environment. Two 8 MP cameras in front of the vehicle allow recognizing vehicles, pedestrians, and cone buckets ahead at a 120-degree range and a distance up to 550 meters away.

LIDAR

The L9 features a forward-facing LiDAR equipped with 128 lasers that offer the most superior performance in any LiDAR currently under mass production. LiDAR ensures AD Max can perceive the vehicle’s environment correctly even when it’s dark or extremely bright and that the cameras have limited visibility. Like Xpeng’s Xpilot 4.0, Li Auto’s AD Max is capable of 508 trillion operations per second (TOPS) using two NVIDIA DRIVE Orin systems-on-a-chip (SoC).

Ingress & Comfort

I’m six feet tall and had no issues with ingress and egress in the SUV.

Once seated in the driver’s seat, I immediately checked the all-around visibility, which is excellent in the L9 thanks to its large windows. The leather-wrapped steering wheel with an electrically adjustable column felt like it could be a bit chunkier, but that’s a minor quibble. I enjoyed ample headroom and the elevated seating position provided a commanding view of the road. The driver’s seat offered substantial back and under-thigh support. The seats not only heat and ventilate but also come with a massage function, which felt amazing after spending days on the show floor!

Quality & Switchgear

The material quality throughout the cabin impressed me, especially the tasteful color choice of the leather on the doors, dashboard, and center console. Unfortunately, the cabin lacks physical buttons as all controls have been integrated into the central touchscreen, which was a bit disappointing.

Second-row seating and comfort

Access to the second row was effortless thanks to the large doors and flat roofline. Even with the driver’s seat adjusted for my height, there was plenty of legroom and knee room behind it. The second-row captain chairs, offering heating, ventilation, and massage features, are almost as luxurious as the front seats. Plus, second-row passengers have access to their own 15.7-inch touchscreen for entertainment and streaming, which folds out from the roof.

Third-row seating and comfort

The third-row seating features a raised floor, leading to a knee-up posture that may be less comfortable for taller passengers. Nevertheless, the seats are comfortable, and there’s sufficient headroom. The glass roof adds to the feeling of spaciousness in the car.

Specifications

The Li L9 is outfitted with a dual-motor, all-wheel drive system that delivers a 330 kW (442.5 hp) and 620 Nm (457.2 lb.ft). This setup allows the vehicle to go from 0 to 62 mph in just 5.3 seconds. The powertrain includes a 44.5 kWh NCM lithium battery, which supports an extended electric driving range, achieving 215 kilometers under the CLTC standard and 180 kilometers under the WLTC standard. The engine (generator) is a 1.5-liter, four-cylinder, turbo-charged engine, which solely works to charge the battery.

The Li L9 can cover distances of up to 1,315 km (817 mi) in CLTC mode and 1,100 km (683.5 mi) in WLTC mode. It also features the capability to supply up to 3.5 kW for external use (V2L).

The Li L9 uses a double-wishbone front suspension, and a five-link rear suspension. This system is enhanced with an intelligent air spring and continuous damping control, which adjusts instantly to road conditions, ensuring control and comfort.

Price & Release Date

The Li Auto L9 SUV is now available in China. It is priced between CNY 409,800 ($56,598) and CNY 439,800 ($60,741). The company will begin exporting the vehicle, starting with the Middle East this year. While the company is listed on Nasdaq, it hasn’t announced plans to sell cars in the United States.

Li Auto L9 FAQs